János Major graduated at Semmelweis University in 2007 as medical doctor. Even during his medical school years, he was interested in the psychological aspects of physical illnesses and their treatment, as well as in preventing the psychological strain of the medical profession. Under the guidance of Professor Ferenc Túry, he became involved in family therapy for families affected by eating disorders, as well as in research on student burnout at the Institute of Behavioral Sciences at Semmelweis University, and participated in the development of the Humánia Occoupational Socialization Movement, which supports the mental health and career socialization of medical students. Starting in 2007, he participated in Bálint group leader training and became involved in the work of the Hungarian Mihály Bálint Psychosomatic Society, where he also served as the society’s secretary for five years. In 2008, he earned his certification as a couple- and family therapist and worked as a couples therapist at the League of Family Services Foundation until 2012.
After graduating from university, he completed his residency in pediatrics (2012) and then in pediatric gastroenterology (2014) at Bethesda Children’s Hospital. During his clinical work, his interest gradually shifted toward the treatment of childhood pain, and in 2013, he and his colleagues launched Hungary’s first pediatric pain management clinic. In 2019, following a one-year specialized training program in Germany, he obtained a certification in pain therapy.
Under the supervision of Dr. Szilvia Ádám, his research focused on the effectiveness of inpatient treatment for chronic pain and the epidemiology of chronic pain and functional gastrointestinal disorders. Since 2019, he has been teaching at the Institute of Behavioral Sciences at Semmelweis University, where he is one of the founders and leaders of the Pain and Psychosocial Stress Research Group.
At Semmelweis University, he teaches medical psychology and medical communication in both Hungarian and German; he is the initiator of the course “Complex Practice of Pain Management” and one of the organizers of the PhD course of the Science of Pain. In 2024 he has started with his colleagues the Pain Management Clinic for Young Adults, the first multimodal, interdisciplinary adult pain clinic in the country. His work has been recognized with the Géza Petényi and Henri Nestlé Awards.